Em Kees

Who is Em Kees:

Em Kees is a folkloric character famous in some Arabic countries, like in Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Usually known to be 'Abo Kees' which is the male version of the character. But for some reason, In Lebanon, Abo Kees is a lady. Em kees stands for 'The Lady with the Bag'. Em kees is a lady that lives in Beirut, and kidnaps kids who are not behaving properly. For example, if the kid doesn't sleep early, do their homework, or even talk back to their parents.

Why Em Kees:

The inspiration came after a conversation with some friends, and we all discovered we were all traumatised by this fictional character. However, for our surprise, Em Kees didn't grow old with us. Kids these days don't know who is she.

I then decided to create the story of Em Kees being the lady who is quite old, still living in Beirut. She lost her fame, and became just a normal grumpy old lady. However, she meets a little boy that changes her life.

The story and sketches are still in progress. This part of the story focuses more on the concept art of her house.

Progress:

The main inspiration for the house design is the traditional Beiruti style, with its three arches.

The house should reflect not just tradition, and the architectural Beiruti style. But also reflect Em Kees's evil personality. This was the first sketch.

This the evolution of some concepts that were drawn. The approach to select the final design is based on multiple design reviews with some experts. I decided to break free from logical thinking. The house consists of more exaggerated curves, more pointy corners, to capture the unique spirit of the character.